NYC school probed over toilet cleaning punishment

The Department of Education is investigating claims that a school in the Bronx had students clean toilets as a disciplinary measure.

A student at the In-Tech Academy told the New York Daily News that he and another student were assigned janiotrial duties instead of detention last fall.

"It was gross. I did not want to do it," 14-year-old Randy Estevez told the newspaper.

A staff member confirmed the story, saying it was an example of "months of abuse" at the school. That staff member told the Daily News that school administrators signed off on the punishment because permission was supposedly granted by the parents.

Randy's mother Sarah told the newspaper she found out about the punishment after the fact, but was okay with it because it taught her son to behave.

"I think it's okay. He learned his lesson," Estevez said. "It's the only way he's going to learn. Now, next time he wants to misbehave, he'll think about the punishment and behave better."